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Liberty
"Liberty" is the first episode of season 3, and the 46th produced hour of Person of Interest. It originally aired on September 24, 2013. Synopsis A diplomat's son, Rafael, is crossing the street with his date. A van pulls over and Rafael is kidnapped by three mob cartel enforcers. In the van, Reese is posing as one of the mobsters and is playing on his phone. He tells the thugs that he's the "hostage negotiator". The van goes off road and crashes, and Rafael runs off. A police car pulls up and a uniformed Carter steps out. Reese tells her that he's taken care of everything, but Carter wonders where his friends are. Shaw is in a carriage posing as the girlfriend of a young man named Don. Shaw tells Don that she knows he rips off all the women he dates and drains their bank account, and one of them was the daughter of a mobster who has placed a hit on Don. Three hitmen pull up, and Shaw, aided by a disguised Fusco, takes them out easily. Finch comes over and congratulates her, but suggests that she might use a little less violence in the future. Fusco complains about she endangered his life, and Shaw destroys her cellphone before leaving. The next day, Reese and Finch walk Bear down by the river and discuss getting Shaw's help. Though Finch is against her violent methods and refusal to carry a phone, Reese points out that she has good reason to keep a low profile given the people who want her dead, the same people that want them dead. Finch gets down to business and explains that their newest number is Jack Salazar, a U.S. sailor. Finch explains that Jack joined the Navy after assaulting a man and given the option of prison or the military. It's Fleet Week in New York and 6,000 sailors are in town. Finch has no idea where to start but Reese figures that Jack and his friends will head to Hell's Kitchen to buy some boilermakers and drink heavily before their leave time runs out. He tells Finch that he's going to start checking bars. Reese finds Jack at a bar where he and his friend RJ Phillips are hitting on two girls. One of the girls' boyfriends objects, calling them jarheads. A marine overhears them and takes offense, but Jack tries to calm him down by buying him drinks. The marine isn't interested and drops RJ's hat on the floor, and then pours a beer on it. A bar brawl ensues, resulting in Reese getting hit with a chair and Jack and RJ fleeing the scene. Reese tells Finch that they need to call in backup so help search for them. Meanwhile, at an unknown psychiatric hospital, Root is receiving treatment from Dr. Ronald Carmichael, who begins Root's therapy session by saying that the other patients have complained that she's in her cell talking to herself at all hours. Root glances up at a security camera and tells Carmichael that she talks with a higher power. She claims that a "voice" wants her to stay in the facility and reassess her methodology. Carmichael figures that she's obsessed with modern-day surveillance and digital monitoring, and Root admits that she feels like someone is always watching her. Reese goes back to the library and reviews Jack's record with Finch. Jack has scored high marks across the board and Reese has Finch check to see if the Navy is testing him for anything else. Finch notes that Jack started the fight but Reese says that he would have also defended a friend. RJ's record as a quartermaster shows that he's a troublemaker and they figure that RJ and Jack will be heading back together to their ship to check in. Reese says that they need someone with military experience to figure out where Jack will hole up. At the station house, Carter is bringing in a flasher when Fusco comes over to talk to her. He complains briefly about his new partner while Carter gets a call from Finch. She meets with Reese, who tells her what's going on. She figures that Jack will want to hook up with some prostitutes and takes Reese to a deli. He doesn't understand why Jack would want salami, but Carter points out a sailor in a phone booth. They watch as he goes through a secret panel in the back and follow him through to an underground nightclub. As they go in, Reese asks Carter how she's doing and suggests that he could offer her a job with them, but Carter says that she's a cop and doesn't need anything else. Reese spots Jack at the bar and goes over while two sailors hit on Carter. Once he gets close to Jack, Reese clones his cell phone and watches as RJ comes over and gives his friend a pack of Cuban cigars that he skimmed off an admiral. Jack warns RJ to watch himself and avoid getting too greedy, and RJ leaves with a prostitute. Jack walks off with Reese following at a distance. At 11 PM, Jack is out on the street and calls RJ, but gets no answer. A force recon Marine, RIP, comes over and tells Jack that he and his people want "it" back. Jack claims that he has no idea what he's talking about, while Reese spots more "Devil Dog" force recon Marines securing the area. RIP finally has enough and attacks Jack, while one of the Red Dogs steals a car. Jack puts up a decent fight but two more of RIP's men join in and subdue him. They demand that Jack return the items they're looking for but he still insists that he doesn't know what it is. The fourth Marine drives over in the car and they load Jack in the back. However, unknown to them, Reese is in the driver's seat. He drives off as soon as Jack is in the car, and RIP and the other two Marines open fire. A stray shot hits Jack before Reese can make his escape. Reese takes Jack to a safehouse and calls in Shaw to stitch up his wound. Finch arrives as Jack wakes up and grabs Shaw, who immediately holds him at gunpoint. Finch tells Jack that the Devil Dogs attacked him and he needs medical treatment, and Shaw releases. Reese asks why the Devil Dogs are after him and Jack explains that RIP paid RJ to smuggle in an AK-47 from Somalia where they were stationed. Once RJ got it back to the States, he told Jack that he gave the rifle back. Finch checks the Devil Dogs' background and discovers that they served in Somalia. They went up against a crew of pirates that had attacked a deep-sea mining vessel. RIP calls Jack using RJ's cell phone and tells him that they have RJ, who tells Jack to check the Cuban cigars. When they open them up, they discover that they have uncut diamonds inside. RIP gives Jack a hotel room to deliver the diamonds if he ever wants to see RJ again. In the psychiatric hospital, Carmichael has another therapy session with Root and asks about her family. She refuses to discuss them and Carmichael comes over and takes his cell phone out of Root's pocket. Root explains that she needs it to keep in contact with the "voice" and admits that they're having a disagreement at the moment. Carmichael decides that it would be best if she was isolated from all technology and, ignoring her pleas, has the orderlies take her to solitary confinement. Reese and Shaw take Jack to the hotel and Shaw spots one of the Devil Dogs in an ideal sniper position. She goes over to buy a popsicle while Jack wonders how he got into the situation. Reese assures him that he's a good man and points out that he's trying to help people. Shaw comes back and gives Reese the foil wrapper from her popsicle. When he wonders what she wants him to do, Shaw tells him that he'll figure it out and that he should give her three minutes. Shaw goes up behind the rooftop sniper and waits until Reese distracts him with sunlight reflected off the foil. She takes down the sniper while Reese and Jack go up to the room where RJ is being held. RJ is wired to an IED explosive and has a cell phone taped to his chest. RIP calls them and realizes that Jack broke their arrangement by bringing Reese with him. RIP tells Reese to stay there or he'll detonate the bomb, and then tells Jack to get into a cab that will arrive for him. Reese warns Jack that he won't come back if he follows RIP's instructions, but Jack insists that he won't let RJ die. While Jack catches the cab, Shaw tells Finch what's going on. He figures that the Devil Dogs will use a fence to sell the diamonds, and calls Carter to see if she can find the fence. Carter says that she'll handle it and then goes to a secure basement where she's keeping Carl Elias safe. Elias is eating dinner with his henchman, Anthony Marconi, and Carter complains that Scarface has been spotted in the Russian mob's territory. Elias notes that the Russians control everything now and dismisses Scarface, who thanks Carter for helping his boss before leaving. Once he leaves, Elias points out that Reese and Finch haven't visited him since Carter spirited him away. He wonders if they know she's hiding him and if they'd approve, but Carter insists that Elias would be dead if she hadn't stepped in. She then asks about a fence that could handle the diamonds, and Elias gives him the address of a man named Maksim who does business out of a pawnshop. As Carter goes, Elias offers to help her with HR and the Russians, but Carter tells him that she has it under control. Finch goes to the hotel and hacks the cell phone from outside. He then creates a video loop of Reese standing in front of the camera to trick RIP while Reese can move away. Fusco arrives in response to Finch's call and gives Reese the address of Maksim, which he got from Carter. Reese leaves him to defuse the bomb while he goes to the pawnshop with Shaw to save Jack. Jack gets out at a park and he hears a cell phone ringing from a lunchbox taped beneath a bench. He answers the phone and RIP tells him that he has a bead on him with a sniper rifle. RIP orders Jack to go to the pawnshop and collect the money for the diamonds. Jack will then turn the money over to them and they'll release RJ. As night falls, Fusco continues trying to defuse the IED. RJ is less than happy to learn that Fusco is in Homicide, not with the bomb squad. Jack arrives at the pawnshop and offers Maksim the diamonds, expecting the 50% that RIP negotiated. Maksim will only give him 30% and Jack warns him that he doesn't know who he's dealing with. RIP and his men come in, armed, and demand the 50% that Maksim promised. Maksim orders his men out and they draw their guns on the Marines, who draw on them. Maksim knows how they got diamonds and insists that he'll only pay 30% because of the risk to him. Reese strolls into the shop, surprising both sides, and suggests that they settle on 40%. Neither side is impressed. While Shaw watches through the sight of a sniper rifle, RIP checks his cell phone and realizes that Reese tampered with the video feed. Finch yells over the earbud at Fusco, telling him to get out, but Fusco realizes that it's too late to get far enough away. He manages to defuse the IED just in time and RJ sighs in relief. RIP tells Reese to shut up and prepares to shoot Maksim, who says that his men can handle the Marines. Shaw realizes that he's set an ambush and spots more Russians in the room above. She warns Reese, who grabs Jack and drags him out of the field of fire. The men above fire through the floor, taking out some of the Devil Dogs. They open fire on Maksim and his men, while Shaw picks them off from across the street. Once everyone is down, Reese leads Jack out. A russian surviver tries to shoot them and Reese shoots him. Once they leave, Scarface casually walks in and takes the diamonds and money. The next morning, Carter comes home at the end of her shift and calls Reese. She's heard about the shootout and Reese assures her that everything is fine. He and Shaw have taken Jack back to his ship. Reese asks if Carter is doing okay and she says that she's doing fine. He offers his help if she needs anything and cuts off. Carter then goes to her closet and examines the bulletin board that she has set up... with the entire chain of command of HR on it. Later, Reese tracks Jack to a bar and Jack tells him that RJ took the blame for everything that happened. Jack's captain has told him that he could probably make it into the SEALS, but Jack looks over at a happy couple and admits that he was hoping to get back to a normal life. Reese tells Jack that a guy like him could do a lot of good in the right place, and informs him that he ended up in the military the same way. Jack wonders what he should do and Reese tells him that the CIA will probably take interest in him. He advises Jack to say no if they do come for him. Jack considers what Reese has told him and then has the waiter take over two glasses of champagne for the couple. However, he drops one of the uncut diamonds in the glass. Once Jack goes back to his ship, Finch comes over and admits that he didn't know how Reese joined the military. Reese points out that he doesn't know because he never told him, and wonders why Finch appears unhappy even though they saved Jack. Finch admits that he is happy, but that he has a feeling that things are going to become a lot more complicated. Back in the psychiatric hospital, Carmichael has Root brought back to his office and asks what she's really thinking. Despite having supposedly been out of contact with all technology, Root lists all of the personal and unethical things that Carmichael has been doing. She tells Carmichael to give her back the phone because she's having an argument with the "voice". She tells him they're arguing about whether or not Root should kill Carmichael. The Machine then begins calculating the probability of Carmichael's death and various other possible events linked to it, and awaits results. Episode Notes * The episode's title refers not only to the new freedom the Machine is experiencing, but to the naval term for shore leave: freedom to leave a ship and enjoy the pleasures on land. * The episode takes place during "Fleet Week", an annual tradition where U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard ships returning from deployment dock in major cities' ports for a week. The sailors on board enjoy shore leave, while the ships are often open to the public, and military activities such as air shows take place. The tradition began in San Diego in the 1930s and has expanded to major ports on both coasts as well as in Hawaii. Fleet Week generally takes place in late May. * Root has been assigned a new box made up of black dashes and yellow corners and her designation has been changed to "Analog Interface". This is an indication that Root, while not an Admin, is the only person who can communicate directly with the machine. (Source ) Acronyms and Vocabulary * The episode features a number of familiar nicknames for sailors and Marines, including "squid" and "swab jockey" (for sailors) and "jarhead", "leatherneck" and "devil dog" (for Marines). * Near the end of the episode, Salazar and Reese talk about Salazar's future, and the possibility of his completing BUD/s and becoming a Navy SEAL. BUD/s is the acronym for Basic Underwater Demoliton/SEAL traning, one of a series of courses of training potential SEALS must complete. * At one point, Shaw tells Fusco that an operation has gone "pear-shaped". This is a traditionally British expression for a situation that has gone badly wrong. Production Notes Bloopers and Continuity Errors *When Shaw takes off her disposable gloves after removing the bullet from Jack Salazar, she takes off her left glove first. In the next scene, she takes it off again. *The NY license plate on the van that is used to abduct the diplomat's son in the beginning of the episode is the same as on Finch's town car (LXQ-2038). The same plate is shown on the stolen BMW that Reese uses to rescue Jack from the special forces team trying to abduct him. * When Reese finishes cloning Jack's phone, he holds his phone upside down. * On Carter's list of HR members Patrick Simmons is listed as a detective instead of an officer. * After Finch's request that Shaw "complete her tasks without so much violence," Shaw can clearly be seen saying something, but it is not heard. * The Machine mistakenly lists Root's real name, Samantha Groves, as an alias. Music *"She's Long Gone" - The Black Keys (In the underground bar) *"Feeling Good" - Nina Simone (after the shootout in the pawn shop) Trivia * The music playing in the hidden bar is "She's Long Gone" by The Black Keys, the same music played in the ending scene of . When Jack enters the cab, Finch asks Shaw if she can follow and she replies "He's long gone". * There is no actual aircraft carrier named the U.S.S. Colorado. Modern carriers are named for prominent Americans. The USS Colorado was a battleship launched in 1921 and decomissioned in 1947. The scenes of the non-existent USS Colorado were filmed at the site of the USS Intrepid museum-ship at Pier 86 on the west side of Manhattan. * NYC's Fleet Week celebration, which began in 1984, draws some 6000 sailors, marines and guardsmen to the city. This year's Fleet Week was cancelled due to emergency budget cuts enacted due to the sequestration of Congress. * Reese again refers to himself as "a concerned third party". * Root's alias in the psychiatric hospital where Finch has had her placed is "Robin", another bird reference. * After Root informs Dr. Carmichael that she is arguing with the Machine over whether or not she should kill him, the Machine displays a graphic showing the probabilty of his death at 78.09%. * The same graphic shows the probability of the death of an Admin at 12.54% as well as the probability of other events (e.g. Mass Casualty Event (probability about 9%) and a Global Thermonuclear War (over 2%). Quotes *"They never say thank you" - Reese *"Thanks, Carter. For what it's worth you're looking kinda badass in that uniform". - Reese *"Fleet Week! An annual deluge of drunken sailors that somehow does not qualify as a military attack". - Finch *"All hands on deck!" - Reese *"I have a direct line to a higher power. It speaks to me." - Root *"I caught this one flashing his junk in the park again...all excited about the randy sailors in town." - Carter *"I could shoot you or save you, frankly, I could go either way" - Shaw *"You can't be something you're not" - Reese *"Aww, but it's a shame to waste a rifle like this on kneecaps" - Shaw *"Harold, the exchange went pear shaped" - Shaw *"Whoa...Never a dull moment with you guys" - Fusco *"Hey Reese, no offense. If the vigilante thing doesn't work out I'm not really seeing a future for you in conflict resolution" - Shaw *"If you're going to ambush somebody use a muzzle suppresor. Losers" - Shaw *"I would have taken a head shot, but Finch gets annoyed when I kill people" - Shaw *"You think you're the first kid to have to stand in front of a judge and pick door number 2" - Reese *"The truth is that you fantasize on online forums about having sex with some of your patients. But not me, yet. I guess I'm not your type" - Root Clips References es:Liberty 301 301